As we moved on after fighting the beholder, we soon came to a dead end, with only a vertical shaft leading upward. Using his climbing skills, Pockets carried a rope to up the shaft and fastened it at the top. We all followed him up the rope to find another passage. Pockets was nowhere to be seen.

Assuming he had scouted ahead, we followed the passageway... but not for long. As we rounded the first bend, we came to a cavern. In the cavern floated a large black beholder that could only be Xarn! He was flanked by two Mind Flayers, and was also guarded by an Umber Hulk. Lying on the floor in front of the behoder was the unconscious form of Pockets.

No sooner had we appeared than the Umber Hulk attacked. Because of our travelling order, this left Drusilia alone in the room with the beholder, while the rest of us were stuck in the corridor, which was blocked by the fighting of Ghelt and the Umber Hulk. Also, the beholder’s anti-magic eye prevented me from casting spells!

Drusilia was able to get a few spells off that severely weakened the beholder, but things were still looking really bad... we just couldn’t get enough of our party into the room! Deciding that I had to do something, I used the tumbling skills that I have been practicing to tumble past Ghelt and the Umber Hulk. I guess my tumbling needs a little more practice, as the Umber Hulk managed to land a powerful hit on me as I passed. Painful as it was, I didn’t let it stop me from letting loose with a lightning bolt that finished off Xarn.

After Xarn was defeated, it didn’t take Ghelt long to take care of the Umber Hulk. As for the mind flayers, we managed to kill one of them, but the other escaped by teleporting away.

After making sure that Pockets was OK, I noticed that there was a passageway leading down from the current chamber. Thinking it might be a treasure chamber, I used spider climb to follow the passage downward. I was right! We found a good amount of treasure, which we gathered up before heading back to the city of the Salamanders.

The next ten days were rather uneventful. When we returned to the salamander city, we were hailed as heroes. When we asked the King where we would need to go to find the portal to the temple of the Void, he explained that it would appear in the temple at the center of the city.. just as I had originally suspected! Since we did not have to travel further to find it, we were able to use the next ten days for some much needed rest and recovery.

On the day the gate was to appear, things got bad. We were waiting at the temple, when the city was attacked by a force of duergar and mind flayers! Just as we were debating as to whether we should help defend the city, the gate started to materialize, leaving us no choice but to wait in the temple as the salamanders fought the invaders. Just as the portal finished materializing, it looked like we might be in trouble - a group of duergar had managed to break through and were approaching the temple! I nearly feinted with shock when the form of Arkon materialized on the steps of the temple and began defending it!!! I guess this means that he really has been following us, and it concerns me. After all, why does he now appear to be helping us?!?

In any case, we did not have time to figure it out just then, as we needed to pass through the portal to the temple of the void. Passing through, I was envoloped in darkness.

When I awoke, I found myself (and the rest of the party) in a entry chamber. Looking out of the windows, I saw nothing but endless sand dunes. This strange place must be the temple of the void. The only exit from the room was a pair of large double doors. Once the party was awake, Aramil proceeded to open them.

As we entered the next room, we saw that it was a cirular chamber with four sets of doors. between each set of doors was a large stone statue of a warrior. No sooner had we entered than the warrior statues attacked us! We were able to defeat them without too much trouble, and once they had been crumbled, we examined the room further. In each of the alcoves where the statues had been, we found a keyhole. I wonder what the locks are protecting? I think we will need to find out.

So here we are. On a strange plane, with no real idea of what we need to be doing. One thing is certain - we need to tread carefully. If Arkon is helping us, it is to his own benefit, and we will need to be careful not to play into his plans... particularly with the impulsiveness that some members of our party have shown in the past. I am not looking forward to this next part of our quest.

~=Fafnir Flamebrewer=~